


For the Earth is Old and Grey

by ReditusIgnotum (howcomeyoubehavethisway)



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fate/ Fusion, F/F, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 13:51:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17204564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howcomeyoubehavethisway/pseuds/ReditusIgnotum
Summary: Caster nodded and headed to the door. When his hand grazed the doorstep, he paused. “I should enter into my spirit form for now. Don't worry, I'll be with you. By the way, we should introduce ourselves, then.”“Oh, I'm Rita Ibarra.” A beat passes before she extends a hand.He smiles, takes it, and gives it a firm shake. “Freddie Mercury.”





	For the Earth is Old and Grey

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [King of Heroes, King of Queen](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3713221) by [MsFaust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsFaust/pseuds/MsFaust). 



> Title taken from '39. A Fate series/Queen crossover.

“Good morning, Boston! Clear skies today, though you might need an umbrella for the heat-” chirped through the flat-screen TV plastered to the wall.

Rita nibbled through the bowl of cornflakes on the table in front of her, the reporter's cheerful words a noise in the background. Frankly, she didn't care about the weather unless there was a massive heat surge or a chilling blizzard headed her way.

“Good morning.” This one didn't come from the TV. No, it was devoid of fake joy, and was instead filled with calm yet genuine happiness.

Rita melted against the warmth pressed onto the crown of her dark hair. She returned a similar morning-weary smile to the girl who took the seat next to her. CJ smiled with the eyes of an angel- Call her cheesy if you want, but even that word wasn't enough to describe her. 

“D'you want cereal or a sandwich?” She asked after she wiped off a few crumbs with the swipe of a napkin.

“Hmm.” CJ pursed her lips and looked up to the sky in thought. “I'll have a cereal, yeah.” 

She gave her one more smile before she stood and headed towards the cupboards. As she pulled a box of corn flakes from a cabinet (CJ would die for those), a nagging feeling pressed on from the back of her head. Not the beginnings of a headache or a leftover from last night's karaoke session (She shouldn't have tried belting “Somebody to Love” with her head voice).

No, this was a feeling that also reached deep into her chest. Was it pain? Weariness? It felt more like a bundle of feelings too complex and blended for her to pick out and understand.

“Ri?” CJ called out from behind her, worry tracing the edges of her name. 

She straightened out her back. “In a minute.” 

She hastily returned to their table and placed the bowl in front of her partner.

“Thanks.” CJ pulled out a spoon and gently pushed into the flakes. 

They sat in silence for a moment, the traffic of Boston mornings a welcome filler for this loss of words.

The TV crackled. “We just received word that an explosion occurred near the Back Bay. Authorities are still investigating the scene. It seems a yacht anchored to the port caught fire and the resulting explosion destroyed a portion of the platforms. So far, no casualties have been reported-”

“My god.” CJ shook her head in disbelief. “It's been happening all week.”

Rita nodded. “Yeah. They haven't even found why.” 

The previous weekend was bizarre. Day after day, reporters went on and on about cars set ablaze and houses reduced to charred remains. The interviews that followed revealed nothing, just the same “We don't know anything at this moment.” Rita's fingers rose to rest on the back of her head on instinct.

Strange, they started around the same time that her hea-

_ “Made in heaven! Made in heaven. Meant for all to-”  _

Rita scrambled for the phone trembling next to her bowl. She glanced down, “Oh, it's mom.” 

She lifted the phone to her ear. “Hi, mom.”

“Oh,  _ hija, _ ” Mom's voice was strangely tinged with a relief that usually followed worry. “ _ Salamat sa Diyos nag- _ pick up  _ ka. _ ”*

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing's wrong. It's just that you're so close to all those explosions, I'm worried.”

“Don't be, ma.” She hopes she can sense the reassuring smile from the other end of the line. “We're safe over here.”

“That's good. Do you have your  _ agimat  _ with you?” 

Her hand strokes the edge of the necklace around her neck- a small clear orb encased in a piece of wood carved into the shape of butterfly wings. Her life at eight years old was all a blur now that a decade had passed, but she remembers her father's hands pressing this symbol into her palm. 

“Just in case,” he said. “Think of it as a great addition to your outfit.” 

To her, it was more than that. It was a piece of her parents’ culture, of what they carried in their hearts, wrapped in newspaper and buried deep in their luggage as they crossed the Pacific. Back in middle school, the dress code only hunted down flashy loop earrings. Her agimat was smaller in size but screamed louder than the shiniest bling. 

“I do.” Her fingers wrapped around it tightly. A sense of reassurance may color her words now, but deep down small traces of concern and fear began to emerge. 

“That's good.” Mom breathed out a sigh of relief. “Be safe, okay? Watch the corners. Stay with CJ as long as possible. I have to go.” 

“I will. Love you.” She smiled before ending the call with the tap of a finger. She met CJ's questioning gaze. “My mom was worried because of the explosions. Who wouldn't be?” She exhales and runs a hand through her hair.

A small smile graced CJ's lips as she repeated. “Who wouldn't be.”

CJ must've changed the channel while Rita was on the phone. The TV flashed an array of colors as the MTV logo appeared in the corner. Then, the familiar-

_ “Can… anybody find me somebody to love?” _

CJ followed her wistful gaze, the same nostalgic glint in her eyes. She extends a hand, “Our song.”

When Rita sighs again, a dreamy relief spills out. She takes her hand, and repeats-

“Our song.”

* * *

They spent the afternoon at the JFK Museum. Tucked in the small, cozy room of the cafe, the chatter of people in line and on chairs, they found a table next to the glass that heralded a view of the ocean.

They'd been to this museum a hundred times already, knew every word to all the videos in the exhibits, but that breathtaking view of the sunlight gliding across the blue ocean- It never gets old.

“Professor June finally passed out the grade for that crystallization lab.” Rita dug a plastic spoon under a pile of sinking chowder crackers with a grimace. “I got a B.”

“Hey, that's good.” CJ raised an eyebrow and playfully bumped their shoulders together. “Why are you upset?”

A sigh. “It feels like my grades are nearly slipping off of the ‘great’ pile. His labs are getting harder by the week.”

“But you did this one. Then you'll do the next, and the next, and- Well, you get my point.”

“Thanks.”

The paper cup is scraped clean of a single drop of soup now. She sets the spoon on a napkin and takes a sip from a bottle of water. Her other hand grasps the  _ agimat  _ unconsciously.

CJ notices it. “Oh, that's the amulet your dad gave you, right?”

“Yeah. It's a, uh, butterfly. I honestly thought it was a phoenix at first, which was why I picked it out. But, it's a good reminder of where we came from.” Her thumb brushes the small orb. “Still never figured out this thing in the middle, though. I remember they put it in afterwards.”

CJ leans forward and reaches a hand towards the symbol, wrapping her fingers around Rita's. “An extra thing, just in case.”

She huffs. “Cristina Joaquin, are you a memory reader? Those are my dad's words.”

CJ laughs at the joking use of her full name. “Maybe so.”

A hint of orange starts to spill into the water outside as the sun begins to set. The glare blasts against the side of her vision, but Rita can still see CJ oh so clearly.

* * *

“I gotta go.” CJ tells her as they walk towards Rita's apartment, head on her shoulder. “ _ Abuela's  _ cooking great fish tonight, and I do not want to eat it cold. I'll bring you some tomorrow.”

“Better not be just a single piece of fish.”

“I promise it will be around the same size at what I shall eat, Ibarra.” CJ dramatically straightens her back with the posture of an opera singer.

Rita huffs out a laugh, turns her head, and kisses her forehead. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

She watches CJ disappear into the dim streets, a smile on her face as she leans against the wall that covered the complex. A sigh, then she turns and twists a key into the lock.

It doesn't open.

Her eyebrows arch. She tries again, this time with a bit of a push that rattles the door in its frame. Still, nothing. 

Her eyes dart around her surroundings, hoping that Sam or Oak or any of her other neighbors were back from their jobs and could offer her a hand. But, there was no one.

Except for the pair of golden eyes that gazed at her intently behind a streetlight.

The streetlight flickered on and off, dimming like a stuttering heartbeat with each burst of light. It felt like a scene taken out of a stupid horror movie. Now, that thought would've made her laugh if it weren't for the fear that crawled into her throat and held her in place.

A hand gave the doorknob one last hopeful jiggle. Then she ran.

Two- no, three- no, just too many feet skid across the pavement behind her as she runs into the city. Every rational and coherent thought scampered out of her mind. For now, she ran on adrenaline and instinct.

She wouldn't dare look back at the apparently multi-legged thing chasing her. 

Her feet turned a corner and led her to the library door. Of course, it was still open at six in the evening. 

Relief started to flood back into her heart as the warm lights of the library decorated her vision. The door swung close behind her with a satisfying click. She found a small study table next to the librarian, Mrs. Brown, who flashed her a weary smile as she walked in. 

Rita grabbed the nearest book on the biology shelf, didn't even read the title as she settled on a chair. She didn't know where the thing was, if it followed her inside and lurked within the shelves. At least this hefty book is a bountiful distraction and a wonderful weapon.

A few other people possibly around her age were on the tables nearby, noses buried deep in phones or books. She was grateful for the company. 

The fear still lingered in the corner of her heart. She took a deep breath, then another, to calm down.  _ Open the book, open the book. Don't think about it  _ was the impromptu mantra as she opened the book- a detailed guide to the brain- and ran her fingers along the spine. 

She was halfway through brain development when a foreign warmth pulsated against her chest. Her hand fell to the  _ agimat.  _ The orb in the center now glowed and burned with the intensity of a thousand suns, the ferocity of its light was fortunately muffled by her hands. Anyone could still notice it if they glanced in her direction. 

She closed the book and carried it with her towards the shelf it belonged to, her other hand still trying to cover the  _ agimat _ .

The shelf that housed this book faced a hallway that lead to a bathroom and a few conference rooms. The ceiling lights were in pristine condition and bounced against Rita's back as she cradled the  _ agimat  _ in her hands.

“What's going on?” She whispered to no one as she shook the amulet, as if the motion would stop the glowing. The light never wavered. In fact, it grew stronger now that she neared the hallway. To confirm her hunch, she turned and faced the water bubbler at the other end. A small hum prickled against her palm as the light seemed to crawl towards it.

Curiosity pushed her forward and set her hand on the doorknob of the farthest room.

A twist revealed a small storage area, with walls covered up to the ceiling with boxes. The center was surprisingly empty. She took a hesitant step forward, although the amulet carried tenfold more enthusiasm than her and pushed towards the center.

The floor behind her trembled as a growl sliced through the air.

She fell forward and landed face-first into the center of the room. It was at this moment that the light from the amulet decided to disappear and seeped into the floor.

“Oh.” She sighed as the fear began to crawl back into her voice. “R-Right when I need a miracle magic power. Makes sense.”

She turned and her gaze finally faced the creature that chased and now found her. It was a strange figure covered in a dark brown hooded cloak. What she perceived as extra feet were just strange objects that hung at the edge of the cape. Those golden eyes now carried a sense of glee.

“I should-” It scratches its shrouded head. “I should tell Master I found her. He knows what to do.”

“Master?” She squawked. Her palms began to heat up, from the floor or out of fear- she didn't care.

“Oh, of course, you don't know anything!” The figure clicked its tongue disapprovingly.

She was too stunned to reply. Too stunned, in fact, that she didn't realize that the floor in front of her glowed in the color of her  _ agimat's  _ bright light until the figure yelped and moved backwards.

Another presence was in the room. The air in Rita's left crackled with intensity. She looked backwards and unknowingly mimicked the figure's reaction.

This man wore a white blouse with loose cloth dangling off of his sleeves. Nearly shoulder-length hair framed a face that Rita had seen only through pictures and videos. 

“Oh, I'm sorry.” He extended a hand and lifted her up until she could stand. 

Rita should probably say something. Say something- “Um,” Smooth. Start with a filler word. “that guy chased me.” She pointed backwards.

The man glared at what Rita assumed to be the figure, and she was extremely glad he didn't direct it at her. “Hey- You're Assassin, aren't you?”

The figure- Assassin- gulped and muttered a small “yes”. It was strange to see those piercing eyes droop down and tremble in fear.

“Tell your Master that Caster said hello.” He offers a casual smile. “And also-”

Assassin dashes off into the other end of the hallway.

A moment of silence passes as Caster (she knows his name, but still) places his hands on his waist in exasperation. “Never letting me finish what I say? How rude.” 

And then he turned around in her direction- looking at her, actually. “I'm really sorry about that. I was just about to tell him off on nearly killing you. My god, he had the audacity to try and kill a Master who hasn't started the summoning yet!”

The words were swimming in her head but nothing made sense. “Uh, what are you- what are you saying?” 

“Well, seeing as how you were on this summoning circle,” he gestures towards the floor, which was now decorated with an intricate circle that only made its image known at this moment, “I am your Servant now. Your Caster.”

Another pause. He gazed a little longer, then said. “Oh no, you're new to all of this, aren't you?” 

Upon seeing her nod, he pursed his lips. “I see. I would love to explain all this to you right now, but I'm afraid we should head to someplace safer. I don't think Assassin will be scared for any longer.”

“Okay.” Finally, a loud word that didn't stutter. “I-It's best we get to my, uh, apartment.” 

Caster nodded and headed to the door. When his hand grazed the doorstep, he paused. “I should enter into my spirit form for now. Don't worry, I'll be with you. By the way, we should introduce ourselves, then.”

“Oh, I'm Rita Ibarra.” A beat passes before she extends a hand.

He smiles, takes it, and gives it a firm shake. “Freddie Mercury.”

**Author's Note:**

> *"Thank God you picked up."


End file.
